Displaying items by tag: on stage

MadKap Production’s A Streetcar Named Desire at Skokie Theatre offers a raw, riveting interpretation of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece, immersing the audience in a world where beauty and brutality constantly collide. The production captures the oppressive heat and emotional volatility of New Orleans as Blanche DuBois arrives at her sister Stella’s modest home, clinging desperately to fading illusions while the truth she’s outrun begins to close in. Her fragile elegance crashes against the brute force of Stanley Kowalski, and the tension between them builds with an inevitability that’s both mesmerizing and terrifying. 

It’s a tension rooted not only in the room but in Blanche’s entire history. The story of a woman who stayed home to care for her parents as they died, then struggled to hold onto their home and land as medical expenses mounted and eventually forced her out into the world with “sixty‑one cents” in her purse, rings true today more than ever.

The intimacy of Skokie Theatre amplifies every emotional tremor, turning the cramped apartment setting into a pressure cooker where secrets, desires, and power struggles simmer just beneath the surface. Wonderfully directed by Wayne Mell, the staging leans into the play’s psychological depth, allowing the actors to explore the vulnerability, longing, and explosive conflict that define these characters. What emerges is a haunting, deeply felt production that honors Williams’ poetic language while making the story feel immediate and painfully human. A Streetcar Named Desire at Skokie Theatre is a resonant, beautifully acted experience that stays with you long after the final moment.

The cast delivers a richly textured, emotionally charged performance, anchored by Hailey Hance’s luminous and deeply vulnerable portrayal of Blanche DuBois. Hance navigates Blanche’s unraveling with remarkable nuance, shifting effortlessly between brittle charm, aching fragility, and flashes of desperate bravado. Elyna Mellen offers a beautifully steady counterpoint as Stella Kowalski, grounding the production with warmth and quiet strength as she’s pulled between the two people she loves most. Nathaniel Kohlmeier brings a fierce, narcissistic and unsettling magnetism to Stanley Kowalski, capturing both his brute force and the dangerous charisma that fuels every confrontation. Denis Vorobyev’s Mitch adds a welcome softness to the storm, his gentle sincerity and emotional honesty making his scenes with Blanche especially resonant.

The supporting ensemble brings texture and pulse to life in Elysian Fields, each performer adding a distinct spark to the world surrounding the Kowalskis. AJ Carchi and Wyatt DeLair charge their scenes with crisp, kinetic energy, while Neil Figuracion anchors his moments with a quiet, compelling weight. Kimmy Higginbotham and Dee Dee Logan offer nuanced, emotionally attuned work that enriches the production’s blend of tenderness, tension, and volatility. Together, the ensemble shapes a world that feels immediate and deeply human - a living, breathing testament to the enduring force of Williams’ drama.

Ultimately, MadKap’s A Streetcar Named Desire at Skokie Theatre stands as a vivid, emotionally resonant interpretation of Williams’ classic - one that feels both faithful to the text and urgently alive. The production’s intimate scale, paired with a cast willing to dig deep into the play’s bruised hearts and volatile tensions, creates an experience that lingers long after the final scene.

A Streetcar Named Desire runs through April 26th, and it’s a compelling, beautifully crafted revival well worth experiencing before the run comes to a close.

Highly Recommended.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Since its original 2020 Off-Broadway debut was postponed until 2024 by the Covid-19 Pandemic, Itamar Moses’ “The Ally” has likely ripened in its effectiveness. Not because the play has changed, but because the world has.

A 2025 Pulitzer finalist, now in its Midwest premier at Theater Wit, it revolves around the ambivalence of Jewish college writing professor Asaf (Jordan Lane Shappell in a sterling performance) as his Black student Baron (DeVaughn Asante Loman) asks him to sign-on to a manifesto decrying the killing of his cousin by campus police.

Initially sympathetic to this cause, Asaf becomes reluctant to sign on, even though he agrees with its indictment of systemic injustice against people of color. His sticking points? A section ties in charges against Israel for operating an apartheid state vis a vis Gaza, condemning what it describes as policies of genocide against Palestinian people—even more timely topics today given current political discourse and a war in Iran.

Through a fast-paced dialog, the playwright puts on stage detailed explications of points of view that are known to trigger family battles during holiday dinners, or have become verboten altogether in the interests of peaceful coexistence. There seems nowhere safe to listen to opposing positions.

But not so on the stage in “The Ally.” Expertly directed by Jeremy Weschler, who has led a stellar cast to precision delivery with impeccable timing, this production is remarkable simply on the basis of how well rehearsed the performers seem to be in a complicated, granular script.

In publicizing the play, Weschler says, "Before October 7th, I — like a lot of American Jews on the left — held two ideas at once: that Israel was a haven and that the occupation was wrong. Itamar Moses saw, honestly before I did, that those two ideas were becoming impossible to hold simultaneously. But there are always two ways to answer the question ‘What do I believe?': what do I think, and what do I feel? Where we land on that spectrum is a constant negotiation between ourselves and the world around us. What ‘The Ally’ asks — what it really demands — is that we face that negotiation honestly. Can we be good people when our hearts and our heads aren't aligned?”

In the main setting, a library meeting room, impassioned, invested characters put forth their positions. Most have direct experience of that about which they speak. This is both enthralling and compelling, emotionally engaging at the peak moments, as we hear them passionately expounded their positions. Each felt equally compelling, even though they are often diametrically opposed.

Moses is a skillful playwright. He has wrapped the political discourse in a romantic drama, the relationship between Asaf and his wife Gwen (K Chinthana Sotakoun), a faculty member who is of Asian descent. The play opens with a skillful rendering of a couple tentatively probing and challenging each other in a very realistic way.

That scene changes from the living room to campus. Having heard from Baron, and as Asaf tussles with signing the manifesto, the playwright ups the stakes. Palestinian student Farid, (Arman Ghaeini) and his “ally” (a recurring theme) Jewish student Rachel (Mira Kessler), ask Asaf to support the appearance of a noted speaker who questions Israel’s actions in Gaza. Asaf agrees to be their student group sponsor authorizing the speaker.

When Reuven (Evan Ozer) a Jewish PhD student, discovers this, he barges in on Asaf to lay out all the reasons this speaker should not be allowed to address the student body. While Israel may seem brutal at home, he contends, one must think of it in context: Israel is surrounded by middle eastern states that oppose its very existence. Any presentation that might undermine Israel’s welfare should be banned.

Moses’s script is designed to give each of the characters a long moment in the spotlight. For relief he reverts to scenes between Asaf and Gwen. Each of the characters is articulate and brilliant. When Reuven makes his case for Israel, for example, he also recounts accurately the arguments of its opposition as he dispels them.

Most intriguing, and emotionally compelling, is Farid. In his first few appearances he is reticent, retreating, polite. But when the playwright offers him his featured monolog, Farid expresses the suffering of Palestinians, and then, moves to a vehement display of their anger. Arman Ghaeini runs away with this scene, engendering from me empathy and even catharsis. When have I heard this expressed? Never before.

Likewise for Baron, who is generally rather laconic. As the debates on stage progress over the connections between the Israel-Palestinian conflict and racial injustice in the U.S., Baron has his moment for a passionate peroration, and Loman's delivery is powerful.

Throughout, Asaf remains the buffeted everyman, conscious of the warring sympathies within himself, and unable to resolve them. The play has some weaknesses as a drama—an old flame now community activist Nikea (Sharyon Culberson) appears, igniting jealousy in Gwen. But as an expression of the struggle we experience societally, through the vehicle of the conflicted Asaf—that weakness doesn’t hamper the impact and value of “The Ally.”

It is worth noting “The Ally” was written before the Hamas strike against Israel in October 2023. That event killed 1,200 and saw 251 taken hostage. In its subsequent defense, Israel has retaliated and sought to destroy Hamas, killing 73,000 Palestinians and isolating Gaza. Also noteworthy: this Chicago production is only the second staging of the work. Perhaps its incendiary subject makes producers skittish.

But “The Ally” has a heightened immediacy today, and should be seen. Highly recommended, “The Ally” runs through May 2, 2026 at Theater Wit in Chicago.

Extended through May 17th!

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Get ready for a summer of laughs as Steppenwolf Theatre Company welcomes award-winning performers Laura Benanti and Alex Edelman for two limited comedy engagements.

First up, direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway runs comes Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, playing five performances August 6 – 9, 2026. Known for her dazzling Broadway performances and razor-sharp wit, Benanti takes the stage to share her hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest take on motherhood, people pleasing and the joys of aging as a woman. Blending side-splitting storytelling with original songs, this New York Times Critic's Pick is a love letter to recovering ingénues, mothers and anybody working on themselves. Based on Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, an Audible Original, Nobody Cares is created by Laura Benanti with songs co-written by Todd Almond and direction by Annie Tippe. The Steppenwolf presentation marks the first stop on a national tour for the project following a summer run at London's Underbelly Soho this July, with further stops to be announced.

Up next, following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run of Just For Us at Steppenwolf and around the globe, Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedian Alex Edelman returns with another hilarious and thought-provoking dissection of identity: What Are You Going to Do, playing five performances August 12 – 16, 2026. This all-new show finds the Bostonian sweetheart asking different and more unsettling questions. Primarily, should he spend his time doing something else? Should he be saving lives like his physician father? Should he be trying to return to the sense of community he experienced growing up among Israelis and Palestinians? In a show that reckons with the effects of time spent in trauma, Edelman deftly weaves in and out of examinations of faith broadly—not just Judaism—and wonders if, perhaps, there might be better things out there for him.

Both shows will be presented in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 12 pm. Tickets for both shows go on sale to the general public on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

Performance Schedules and Ticket Prices

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares
Dates: Thursday, August 6 – Sunday, August 9, 2026
Performance Times: Thursday & Friday at 7:30 pm; Saturday at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; Sunday at 3:30 pm
Ticket Prices: $79 – $125 (includes $10 processing fees)

Alex Edelman: What Are You Going To Do
Dates: Wednesday, August 12 – Sunday, August 16, 2026
Times: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3 pm
Ticket Prices: $49 – $84 (includes $10 processing fees)

Artist Biographies

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares

Laura Benanti (Star and Creator):

"The divine Laura Benanti appears to have reached a point where there's nothing she can't do..."
–Hollywood Reporter

Tony Award winner Laura Benanti is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress. Ms. Benanti debuted her critically acclaimed comedy show Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares at the Minetta Lane Theater in NYC. Ms. Benanti created, wrote (songs co-written with Todd Almond) and starred in the show, which earned rave reviews and was chosen as a New York Times Critics' Pick. The show then had a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2025 with encore performances in London and Berkeley. 

Ms. Benanti can currently be seen as a series regular in the role of 'Cindy' on the acclaimed Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown, starring opposite Jeremy Renner. Ms. Benanti co-starred in the hit comedic film No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence and Matthew Broderick. Ms. Benanti's iconic impression of Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has earned praise from across the industry. Other comedic work includes regular appearances on Elsbeth and Inside Amy Schumer. In television, Ms. Benanti has played dynamic characters in Younger, The Gilded Age, Nashville, Supergirl and Gossip Girl. Ms. Benanti earned rave reviews for her portrayal of a grieving widow in Netflix's film Worth, starring opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan.

In the theater, Ms. Benanti has been nominated for 5 Tony Awards. She took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has subsequently starred in ten more Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies and dramas), including Into the Woods, Nine, (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady and Steve Martin's Meteor Shower opposite Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key.

Todd Almond (Songs Co-Writer) is an acclaimed performer, songwriter and playwright. His solo show I'm Almost There was hailed by The New York Times as "a work of wonder," and his recent Broadway performance in Girl from the North Country was praised as "stunning" by The Washington Post and "roof-raising, uplifting, and invigorating" by The Hollywood Reporter. Almond co-wrote the songs for and music-directed Audible's hit comedy Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, and also appeared opposite Ms. Benanti as Gideon Wolfe in the HBO Max reboot of Gossip Girl. His musical adaptation of The Odyssey, produced at Shakespeare in the Park's Delacorte Theater in Central Park, was hailed by The New York Times as "brash, funny and heart-stirring." Todd recently toured the U.S. in his original musical Kansas City Choir Boy, co-starring rock icon Courtney Love; Rolling Stone called the piece "awesome, slyly punk rock." He also starred in three of his original musicals at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park: The Tempest, The Winter's Tale and The Odyssey. His musical Girlfriend, based on the Matthew Sweet album of the same title, has become a perennial favorite for theater companies across the U.S. and in Japan. His past collaborators include Sarah Ruhl (Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical), Jenny Schwartz (Iowa), Laura Benanti (In Constant Search for the Right Kind of Attention), Sherie Rene Scott (Piece of Meat), Kelli O'Hara (Live at Carnegie Hall) and Andrew Rannells (Live from Lincoln Center). As a composer and orchestrator, Almond has written and arranged music for Noises Off on Broadway, Iowa at Playwrights Horizons, Fcking A* at Signature Theatre, How to Transcend a Happy Marriage at Lincoln Center Theater and the film adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again. Other New York acting credits include Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl at Playwrights Horizons, People Are Wrong at the Vineyard and Law & Order: SVU.

Annie Tippe (Director) is an award-winning director and creator of new work, music theater and film. Off-Broadway: Octet (World Premiere; Signature. Lortel Award: Best Direction, Best Musical), Three Houses (World Premiere; Signature. Lortel Award: Best Musical), Ghost Quartet (World Premiere; Bushwick Starr. Norton Award: Best Visiting Production), Magnificent Bird / Book of Travelers (Playwrights Horizons), Your Own Personal Exegesis (LCT). Regional: HUZZAH! (World Premiere; Old Globe), Life After (Ed Mirvish CAA; Goodman, Jeff Award Nom), COWBOY BOB (World Premiere; Alley), Cult of Love (World Premiere; IAMA), POTUS (Berkeley Rep). Film: Help Me Mary (Lower East Side Film Fest; Best Narrative Short), Egg Timer (Austin Film Fest). Former Ars Nova Director-in-Residence, Drama League Directing Fellow, Williamstown Directing Corps. Upcoming: Cyrano at Old Globe; Babysitters Club with Mark Sonnenblick and Kate Weatherhead. annietippe.com

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares is presented in association with rigor + ruckus, Jenny Gersten and Ashley Melone & Nick Mills with LD Entertainment, Avadon Broadway LLC & Creative Partners Productions. To learn more about other cities to see Nobody Cares, visit nobodycaresplay.com.

Alex Edelman: What Are You Going To Do

One of the most critically hailed comedians of his generation, Alex Edelman is best known for solo shows that blur the line between his stand-up comedy roots and narrative-driven storytelling. His last offering, Just For Us, played more than 500 performances all over the world - including acclaimed runs off- and on-Broadway. It premiered as an HBO original comedy special in April of 2024, earning him a place on the Time 100 list, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award for Best Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman appeared in Jerry Seinfeld's directorial debut for Netflix, Unfrosted. Beyond stand-up, he writes regularly for TV and can be seen starring in Peacock's The Paper, a Greg Daniels-helmed spiritual successor to The Office. He also writes on the show as a Consulting Producer. 

Accessibility:

Steppenwolf is committed to making the theatergoing experience accessible to everyone. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access. If you have questions or would like to make a specific request, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call our box office at (312) 335-1650.

Sponsor Information: 

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 50 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT) presents its ninth annual home season performance, An Evening with South Chicago Dance Theatre, featuring three electric world premieres by award-winning choreographers Natasha Adorlee, David Dorfman, and SCDT Founder and Director of Vision and Strategy and Resident Choreographer Kia S. Smith. The four-part mixed repertory program opens with a powerful work by renowned choreographer Donald Byrd. An Evening with South Chicago Dance Theatre takes place for one night only at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph, on Friday, May 1, 2026.

An Evening with South Chicago Dance Theatre is paired with SCDT's Inaugural Legacy Builders Benefit. Legacy Builder ticket holders are invited to attend an exclusive intermission reception and an after-party and silent disco with the artists following the performance. Tickets for the performance and benefit are available at southchicagodancetheatre.com.

"Donald, Natasha, and David are choreographers that I have admired for years. Presenting their works on the Harris stage will foster a sense of hope, connectivity, joy, light, and faith for the future as we dream together of a more equitable tomorrow. This celebratory evening advances SCDT's role as a platform for emerging and established choreographers in Chicago and beyond," says Smith.

The evening begins with It Begins, a creative fusion between the renowned choreographer behind the Broadway production of The Color Purple, Donald Byrd, and sound designer Rob Whitmer. First commissioned for South Chicago Dance Theatre in 2024, It Begins returns triumphantly to Chicago as an audience favorite.

The program continues with Smith's Suite On The Sahara, a new work conceived during SCDT's January 2026 residency at LAKE Studios in Berlin, Germany. Scaffolded by the genius of artists from the Silk Road Ensemble, the piece weaves sounds from Argentina, Morocco, Spain, and Italy, immersing audiences in a landscape flowing with light, color, passion, and a range of movement vocabularies. For this work, Smith steps away from the cerebral work of narrative building to allow her first love, music, to be at the helm of the choreographic process.

Next is the world premiere of Adorlee's Slip Force, a work that questions what structures we continue to uphold, and what becomes possible when a body no longer consents to be read, controlled, or contained. Throughout the work, Adorlee builds structures out of movement—a skeletal house, a circling train, a fragile house of cards—nodding to monuments of power and imposed systems of control. The structures are built, maintained, and repeated, despite their instability and cost. At the center, a woman appears framed within a window, suspended between artifact and entrapment. As pressure accumulates, her stillness gives way to release and acceleration, while another figure becomes newly confined. Slip Force moves between precision and unraveling, humor and severity, ultimately revealing the power of women reclaiming their voice and agency.

The evening concludes with Dorfman's Subject(s)?    Verb   Object!, a snapshot of group fervor, independence, solidarity, and joy. Addressing a moment in which we need each other more than ever, the performers embody hope and pain to fend off stasis and deceit. Kinetic and textual poetics connect the audience to an experience of feeling as alive as humanly possible, set to music ranging from spiritual and moving to a driven club frenzy. Subject(s)?    Verb   Object! is an electric celebration for people of all walks of life.

ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHERS

Natasha Adorlee is an Emmy Award–winning choreographer, filmmaker, composer, and educator based in San Francisco. A first-generation Asian American artist, she was the final Artistic Fellow with Amy Seiwert's Imagery and began choreographing in 2016 while cultivating an acclaimed performance career with Robert Moses' Kin, ODC/Dance, Kate Weare & Co., and the San Francisco Symphony. After her short film Take Your Time earned more than ten international awards in 2018, Adorlee became a sought-after voice in dance filmmaking, choreography, and composition. A graduate of UC Berkeley following studies at SUNY Purchase, she went on to join ODC/Dance, performing an extensive repertoire and contributing original choreography, sound design, and art direction to more than 20 works. Adorlee has since created over 20 original dance-based works across stage, film, and immersive media. She was recently commissioned by the National Choreographers Initiative (NCI) for 2025, with additional commissions from Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works, BalletX, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Kansas City Ballet, Houston Contemporary, Ceprodac (Mexico), Kawaguchi Ballet (Japan), Ballare Carmel, Ballet22, and Imagery. Her creative collaborations also include original work for Pixar Animation Studios, Oculus, National Geographic, and The New Yorker. Adorlee founded Concept o4 to produce multimedia dance experiences that expand access to the arts. Her recent honors include the Grand Prize at the 2024 Palm Desert Choreography Festival, an NEA Grant, a Dresher Fellowship, and a Jacob's Pillow Choreographic Fellowship. In 2025, she received a National Theater Project (NTP) Touring Grant in support of her new work with Crescent Moon Theater. Adorlee is currently in a prolific creative period, sharing her expertise through Dance on Camera workshops and serving as Artistic Advisor for Ballet22.

Donald Byrd is the Artistic Director of the Seattle based Spectrum Dance Theater, a TONY-nominated (The Color Purple) and Bessie Award-winning (The Minstrel Show) choreographer. He has created works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, and The Joffrey  Ballet, among others; and has worked extensively in theater and opera including The New York Public Theater, The 5th Avenue Theater, CenterStage (Baltimore), Seattle Opera, Dutch National Opera, The Atlanta Opera, The Israeli Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and San Francisco Opera. Awards, prizes, and fellowships include Doris Duke Artist Award, James W. Ray Distinguished Artist Award, Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts (Cornish College of  the Arts), Masters of Choreography Award (The Kennedy Center), Fellow at The American Academy of Jerusalem, James Baldwin Fellow of United States Artists, Resident Fellow of The  Rockefeller Center Bellagio, Fellow at the Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue (based at Harvard), Rainier Club Laureate, the  Gordon Davidson Award (Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation) and the Mayor's Arts Award for his sustained contributions to the City of Seattle.

David Dorfman has been making movement-based dance theater since graduating with an MFA in Dance from Connecticut College in 1981. In 1987, he founded David Dorfman Dance (DDD) in New York City with the intention of creating politically and socially relevant work. A lifelong educator and activist, Dorfman has been a professor at Connecticut College since 2004, where DDD is Company-in-Residence. Dorfman choreographed Broadway's "Indecent," for which he was given a Lortel Award for its Off-Broadway run; other accolades include a 2019 USA Fellowship in Dance, a Guggenheim Award, four NEA fellowships, and a Bessie Award. Dorfman's early performing years were happily spent with Kei Takei's Moving Earth and Susan Marshall & Co. Dorfman co-created and toured internationally a body of tragi-comic physical theater with Dan Froot, entitled "Live Sax Acts", and he continues to dance profusely with wife Lisa Race and son Samson Race Dorfman.

Kia S. Smith is a Chicago-born choreographer and artistic leader and the Founder and Director of Vision and Strategy, as well as Resident Choreographer, for South Chicago Dance Theatre. Under her leadership, the company has developed several signature initiatives, including the Associate and Emerging Artist Programs, South Chicago Dance Festival, the Choreographic Diplomacy™ Program, Education and Community Programs, Dancing Across Generations, and a Workforce Development program. As a sought-after freelance choreographer, Smith has created work for companies including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Madison Ballet, Chicago Repertory Ballet, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Chicago Opera Theater, Giordano Dance Chicago, Opera Laguna, New Dance Partners, Resilience Dance Company, Columbia College Chicago, and the Scottish Ballet School. Smith's first evening-length work, Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley, premiered at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre in 2023. She is an active member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance and received its Joan Myers Brown Artist Development Fund Scholarship in 2018. Her honors include a 3Arts Make A Wave Award (2021), the Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellowship at Jacob's Pillow (2021), and recognition as a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist (2022). Smith was named a Rising Star by Chicago Magazine (2023), a "Player of the Moment" by Newcity (2023), and one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" for 2024. WBEZ identified her as a breakout artist for 2024, and Chicago News Weekly has called her "one of the fastest rising stars of the dance world today."

About South Chicago Dance Theatre
South Chicago Dance Theatre (SCDT) creates artistic experiences for all people through its world class repertory dance company and innovative educational programming. Led by founder Kia S. Smith, the Berkshire Eagle lauds SCDT as "a company to watch in 2025 and beyond," and Smith was named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2024. SCDT is known for Smith's signature dance theater works as well as a robust commissioning platform for global emerging and established choreographers. SCDT's touring history includes venues throughout the United States and international engagements in South Korea, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Colombia, and Germany.

Jack Lewin/Lewin Productions will bring Going Bacharach: The Songs Of An Icon, a musical revue featuring the classic songs of music legend Burt Bacharach, including such beloved titles as "Alfie," "Close to You," "What the World Needs Now," "That's What Friends Are For" and many more, to Chicago's Apollo Theater, 2550 N. Lincoln Ave., April 21 – May 17. Tickets are now on sale at goingbacharach.com.  

Charles Isherwood, reviewing the production's recent run at New York's Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater for the Wall Street Journal, called the show "A musical review done right... musically dazzling...This intimate show is both warmly nostalgic and musically irresistible." John McWhorter, writing for the New York Times, raved, "it's the most satisfying batch of Burt I have ever experienced... Every Burt song you like is in it, from 'I Say a Little Prayer' to 'Walk on By.' Don't miss it." 

The production comes to Chicago with the entire cast and creative team from the New York run, where it broke box office records at the Marjorie S. Deane. Going Bacharach was co-created by Will Friedwald, Adrian Galante, Tedd Firth and Jack Lewin, and conceived by Lewin. The arrangements and orchestrations are by Adrian Galante, who also serves as the production's Music Director. Musical supervision is by Tedd Firth, and the show is directed by Tony and Olivier Award winner David Zippel.  The cast includes vocalists Hilary Kole, John Pagano (who was chosen by Bacharach to perform with him on tour for several decades), Ta-Tynisa Wilson and Adrian Galante at the piano and playing the clarinet, also leading a five-piece band.  

Scenic Design is by Christopher & Justin Swader, Costume Design is by Frank Cazares and Lighting & Sound Design is by Matt Berman. General Management is by Visceral Entertainment. 

Audiences will rediscover the soundtrack of a lifetime with Going Bacharach, a vibrant new revue celebrating the legacy of one of America's most iconic composers. Three powerhouse vocalists, backed by a five-piece band, take audiences on a melodic journey through the timeless songs spanning Bacharach's extraordinary career. Joyful and illuminating, Going Bacharach offers fresh, sophisticated and original interpretations of some of the best-loved compositions from Bacharach's songbook. 

About Burt Bacharach

For nearly 70 years, Burt Bacharach supplied the soundtrack of the American experience. Over the course of his career, he was honored with three Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, six Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Drama Desk Award. His collaborators include lyricists Hal David, Carole Bayer Sager and others.  

His is one of the most stylistically diverse and individualistic catalogues in popular music. Through his early classical training under composer Darius Milhaud and his exposure to the vibrant New York City Jazz scene as a teenager in the early 1940s, Bacharach was able to seamlessly amalgamate a wide range of stylistic influences to create his own brand of popular song. His catalogue of hits served as a bridge from the classic Great American Songbook standards of the early 20th century to the post rock 'n' roll era of popular music, creating a library of songs that became the soundtrack to the lives of multiple generations -- recorded by many of the most gifted singers of all time, from Dionne Warwick, Karen Carpenter and Aretha Franklin to Adele, from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello.

Tickets and Performance Schedule
Tickets are $49-$99, with VIP Cabaret Table Seating (including a complimentary drink and merchandise gift) priced at $139. All seats are reduced by $20 for performances April 21 – 26. Tickets can be purchased at goingbacharach.com.  

The preview week performance schedule is as follows:  
--Tuesday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.
--Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m.
--Thursday, April 23 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
--Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
--Saturday, April 25 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

--Sunday, April 26 at 2:30 p.m.

The regular performance schedule is:  
--Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
--Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
--Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
--Sundays at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. 

CREATIVE TEAM
Jack Lewin (producer, co-creator and conceiver) has produced numerous nightclub and cabaret acts. He helped conceive and produced the hit show Our Sinatra, which ran Off-Broadway in NYC for over 1300 performances to rave reviews. It became one of the longest running Off-Broadway shows of all time. The show has run for successful extended engagements at many prestigious venues throughout the country to much acclaim, including The Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton, Guild Hall in East Hampton, The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, The Stage Door Theatre in Ft. Lauderdale, The Prince Theatre in Philadelphia, The Empire Theatre in San Antonio and many others. Our Sinatra has embarked on two major national Performing Arts Center tours with Columbia Artists (2002 and 2006). The show has had successful return engagements in NYC at the legendary Oak Room at the Algonquin and Feinstein's at the Regency, and continues to have sold-out engagements at Birdland Jazz Club. Lewin conceived and co-created Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love – An Elvis Presley Musical Tribute, which has had several productions around the country. In 2018, he produced Here To Stay: Two Pianos, Two Voices, starring Champian Fulton and John Proulx. The show was commissioned by The University of Michigan School Of Music's "Gershwin Initiative." Lewin has also produced several albums of jazz and American popular standards, including Gerson Swings Disney with the great pianist Roy Gerson featuring guest vocalists Rosemary Clooney, Michael Feinstein and John Pizzarelli.  

Adrian Galante (arranger, orchestrator and music director) is a multifaceted, exciting young multi-instrumentalist, arranger and composer whose remarkable command of his craft belies his youth and earned him a reputation as a prodigy at a young age. Hailing from Australia, where he acquired great success performing around the country and throughout Asia and Europe, he moved to New York three years ago where he is rapidly finding his way to the highest level of critical acclaim. At a recent appearance at New York's Birdland Jazz Club, where Galante was accompanied by jazz luminaries Alan Broadbent, Jay Leonhart and Obed Calvaire, reviewer Andrew Portez described Galante as "..an extraordinary musician who appears to be equally gifted as a clarinettist as he is a pianist... Galante's exquisite lyrical playing created one of the best sets this reviewer has heard in years." Bassist Jay Leonhart adds, "Adrian Galante is a force... he is one of the greatest clarinetists ever. As a pianist, he can only be described as brilliant and imaginative." Adrian's debut album, Introducing Adrian Galante, was released in early 2025. Recorded in Hollywood, California, the album features pianist Tamir Hendelman (known for his association with Barbra Streisand and the Jeff Hamilton trio) and longtime drummer for Tony Bennett and Bill Evans final trio, Joe LaBarbera.

Will Friedwald (co-conceiver) has been called "the poet laureate of vintage pop music" and is America's foremost chronicler of the musical arts. He has written ten books, including the definitive works on Frank Sinatra (The Song is You - which was hailed by The New York Times Book Review as the "single most important book on Sinatra ever published"), Tony Bennett (The Good Life) and Nat King Cole (Straighten Up and Fly Right). His other highly acclaimed books include the award-winning A Biographical Dictionary of the Great Jazz and Pop Vocalists and The Great Jazz and Pop Vocal Albums. In thousands of articles for the Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, Playboy, The New York Times and The Village Voice, as well as other publications, he has covered all the major figures of jazz, Broadway and popular music. In addition, he is a consultant to Apple Music and has received eleven Grammy nominations. He has also appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including NPR's "Fresh Air," ABC's "Nightline," "Good Morning America," "The Today Show," "CBS Sunday Morning," and A&E Biography's profiles of Sinatra, Bennett, Perry Como and Mel Tormé. He has consulted and appeared in many documentaries, including "Louis Prima: The Wildest!," "Tis Autumn: The Search For Jackie Paris," and "Anita O'Day: The Life Of A Jazz Singer," as well as PBS's "Soundtrack Of The Century," "American Masters - Sammy Davis Jr.: I Gotta Be Me," and, most recently, "Ella Fitzgerald - Just One Of Those Things" and "Count Basie - Through His Own Eyes."  

Tedd Firth (co-conceiver) is a New York City-based musical director, pianist and arranger. Tedd is currently the musical director for Michael Feinstein, Bernadette Peters, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marilyn Maye, Melissa Errico and Tom Wopat, among others. Among the jazz musicians he has performed or recorded with are John Pizzarelli, Houston Person, Frank Wess, Mark Whitfield, Red Holloway, Benny Golson and Joe Morello. Recent highlights include being the musical director for the reunion of the original Broadway cast of Into The Woods at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California as well as serving as musical director for Michael Feinstein's "Jazz and Popular Song" concert series at Jazz at Lincoln Center. New York appearances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, Birdland, the Iridium, the Algonquin, the Cafe Carlyle and Feinstein's at the Regency. Numerous national appearances include two performances at the White House. As an arranger and orchestrator, Firth's work has been performed by all major American symphony orchestras as well as Liza Minnelli. In 2013, Firth was commissioned by the New York Pops to create new orchestrations for A Charlie Brown Christmas which has had numerous performances across the country in subsequent years. Television appearances include The Today Show, Live From Lincoln Center and All My Children.  

David Zippel (director) A graduate of Harvard Law School, David is delighted to have never practiced law. Zippel has won the Tony Award, two Oliviers, two Academy Award Nominations, three Grammy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. Musicals: City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White, Liza's at the Palace, Pamela's First Musical, Bad Cinderella and Disney's Hercules. Films: Disney's Hercules, Mulan, The Swan Princess, The Wedding Planner and Captain America. He directed Princesses (Fifth Avenue, Goodspeed), The Goodbye Girl (Marriott Lincolnshire), The Best Is Yet to Come (Rubicon, 59E59 Theaters – Drama Desk Award). His songs appear on over 25 million CDs performed by: Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera, Mel Torme, Barbara Cook, Cleo Laine, Michael Bolton, Nancy LaMott, Elaine Paige, 98 Degrees and Barbra Streisand. 

VOCALISTS
Hilary Kole is a long-beloved staple on the NYC jazz scene and world-renowned as a multi-faceted concert hall and symphony performer. She has performed in famed venues  Town Hall, Birdland, Blue Note, Iridium, 54 Below, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall (with Michael Feinstein and The New York Pops). Kole is also an original cast member of Our Sinatra, the long-running hit from the creators of Going Bacharach. 

John Pagano was the lead male vocalist in Burt Bacharach's touring band, performing alongside the composer for 26 years. Beyond the stage, John has worked with Grammy Award-winning songwriter- producer Barry Mann, legendary composer-producer George Duke, jazz saxophonist George Howard and music superstars including Elvis Costello, Garth Brooks, Whitney Houston, Faith Hill, Wynonna Judd, Brian Wilson and David Cassidy.

Ta-Tynisa Wilson is a Broadway performer known for her appearance in the hit musical Hamilton. Millions have caught a glimpse of Wilson on American Idol, Season 10, where she was one of the top 24 finalists. She has also appeared in The Color Purple and Dreamgirls, and has traveled the world performing on cruise ships which has allowed her to share her talents across the globe. 

Some nights in the theatre create a hum with the kind of energy you can feel in your chest - nights when the performers aren’t merely revisiting history but reliving it, reigniting it, and passing that fire straight into the audience’s hands. That’s the voltage running through Stolp Island Theatre’s exhilarating production of Million Dollar Quartet, staged with remarkable precision, pulse, and musical instinct by director Jim Corti.

Set inside the intimate jewel‑box space perched along the Fox River, the production transforms Stolp Island Theatre into a full‑blown time machine - Sun Records beautifully simulated and reborn in the heart of Aurora. The moment you step inside, you’re whisked straight to 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. Even before the show begins, the lobby sets the tone: a 1950s soda‑fountain concession stand invites you to grab a drink, a gleaming vintage motorcycle begs for a photo op, and the walls are lined with memorabilia that feels lovingly plucked from rock ’n’ roll history. Wander a bit further and you’ll find yourself inside a beautifully crafted reproduction of Sam Phillips’ own small office - warm, worn‑in, and full of history you can actually touch and walk through. 

Then, with a sudden shift, the doors open and you find yourself standing inside a true-to-size replica of the original Sun recording studio, set up as a theater in the round. 

This small but elegant one‑of‑a‑kind environment where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis aren’t just characters on a stage, but living, breathing artists hanging out, cracking jokes, and making music mere feet away. I’ve seen many great productions of Million Dollar Quartet in beautifully designed houses, but this is the first time where I actually felt the breath of Elvis on my neck as he entered the stage or the sweaty frenetic energy of Jerry Lee Lewis brushing my hand with every single entrance to the stage which made the show very exciting as an audience member. 

Madison Palmer and Corey McKinney in Paramount's Million Dollar Quartet at Stolp Island Theatre.

Paramount’s restaging is as fun as it is brilliant. The audience isn’t simply watching a musical; they’re dropped directly into the legendary jam session of December 4, 1956, when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins unexpectedly found themselves sharing the same room for one unforgettable night. What begins as a casual drop‑in quickly erupts into a spontaneous collision of talent, ego, and raw creative electricity - the kind of alchemy that could only ignite once, and only inside a cramped Memphis studio run by a visionary who believed in these young artists long before the rest of the world caught on.

Through a propulsive blend of music, sharp‑edged banter, and simmering backstage tensions, the show digs into the crossroads each man finds himself standing at - the tug‑of‑war between loyalty and ambition, the pressure of sudden fame, and the shifting identities of artists still discovering who they are and who they might become. What emerges is not just a snapshot of a legendary night, but a portrait of a pivotal cultural flashpoint, a moment when rock ’n’ roll was still being forged in real time and four rising stars found themselves sharing the same room, the same microphones, and the same uncertain horizon.

Sam Phillips may have discovered these artists and shaped them into the icons they’re becoming, but the question hanging in the air is whether loyalty to a small, scrappy label like Sun Records can still serve them - or whether they’ve simply outgrown it, destined for the bigger machines of Columbia and RCA. The show drops us right into that critical juncture, that uncomfortable, high‑stakes conversation where ambition, gratitude, and survival all collide. 

It’s a charged moment in the story, and the production meets it with a cast more than capable of carrying that weight.

And that weight is carried first by Garrett Forrestal who doesn’t just play Jerry Lee Lewis - he unleashes him. From the instant his fingers hit the keys, he’s a live wire: mischievous, magnetic, and gloriously unhinged in all the right ways. His piano work becomes its own spectacle, and his razor‑sharp comedic instincts make him the spark plug that keeps the entire night crackling.

Garrett Forrestal in MDQ at Stolp Island Theatre.

Corey McKinney follows with a beautifully layered Elvis - yes, the swagger is spot‑on and the voice is uncanny, but it’s the vulnerability beneath the rhinestone shine that makes his execution unforgettable. He captures a young King at a turning point: confident yet conflicted trying to make the best decision for his career while remaining loyal to the man who gave him his first break. 

Brian Grey, performing as Johnny Cash the evening I attended, offers a deep, velvety counterweight to the surrounding chaos - resonant, restrained, and quietly commanding. He nails Cash’s signature rolling, two‑step pulse. The emotional depth of Grey’s portrayal of Cash is really felt by the audience as his eyes blaze with the same fierce righteous honesty during his dialogue. Grey has a tremendous amount of gravitas and the miraculous, unbelievably low notes he hits while singing “Folsom Prison Blues” make the crowd go wild. Grey is hands down one of the best MDQ cast Johnny Cash’s I’ve ever seen. 

Rounding out the rock ’n’ roll trailblazers is Matt McClure, who gives Carl Perkins the spotlight he’s long overdue. His crisp, fiery guitar work pairs with a performance full of grit and verve, playing Perkins with a chip on his shoulder and a fire in his gut. McClure’s guitar work is strikingly assured, each riff delivered with a clarity and confidence that elevates every moment he’s onstage.

Madison Palmer as Elvis’s girlfriend, Dyanne - a confident vocalist in her own right - brings it big time. Her sultry, simmering take on “Fever” tantalizes the audience and brings all the sexy female energy missing from this quartet of machismo! Palmer is a delight; she has a great vocal range and panache that this production’s lead female singing role requires. It is implied by Elvis that her character is talented enough to record with these icons and that she, too, might be a voice ready to burst into the spotlight. 

Jake Saleh adds humor, rhythm, and charm as Brother Jay, his tight, expressive bass lines and playful physicality keeping the momentum buoyant throughout. Robert Brandon matches that vitality as W. S. ‘Fluke’ Holland, his grounded, stylish percussion giving the music shape and elevating the ensemble’s chemistry.

The cast and band deliver musicianship of exceptional caliber, playing with such precision, passion, and force that the entire production feels supercharged. They really play their hearts out.

Connor Green isn’t part of the musical lineup, yet his portrayal of Sam Phillips binds the entire production together - warm, gritty, and quietly authoritative. We can’t help but appreciate the situation he’s in. Phillips is the man who believed in these boys before the world did, radiating both pride and heartbreak as he watches his protégés outgrow the nest he built for them.

Having experienced Million Dollar Quartet in a range of productions across the years, I can say this one stands out as the most fully realized and emotionally resonant. The intimacy of the staging, the sheer talent of the cast, the way the studio set becomes a living, breathing character in its own right, and the meticulous attention to period detail all combine to create something rare.

The Stolp Island Theatre’s intimate 98‑seat layout feels tailor‑made for this show - the band is practically within arm’s reach, the sound warm and immediate, and the closeness so sharp it’s as if the audience is eavesdropping on history in real time. The design team leans fully into the Sun Records aesthetic, all wood tones, warmth, and lived‑in detail, creating a space that looks and feels less like a set and more like a working Memphis studio caught in the middle of something extraordinary.

This Million Dollar Quartet shines even brighter thanks to a top‑tier creative team working in perfect sync. Directors Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi steer the production with a confident mix of musical precision and character‑forward storytelling, shaping an evening that feels both tightly crafted and effortlessly alive. Kory Danielson’s musical direction fuels the show with irresistible drive and authenticity, while Jeffrey D. Kmiec delivers a Sun Records set that’s so textured and atmospheric it practically hums with history. Matt Guthier’s era‑sharp costumes complete the world with style and specificity. And Garrett Forrestal, also working as Associate Music Director, adds a final layer of polish that keeps the ensemble sounding crisp, unified, and thrilling from start to finish.

Million Dollar Quartet at Stolp Island Theatre is a high‑octane celebration of rock ’n’ roll history, ignited by powerhouse performances and a setlist packed with classics like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Hound Dog,” “Long Tall Sally,” and a haunting rendition of “Ring of Fire.”  The show captures the thrill, spontaneity, and sheer musical joy of that legendary night, and brings the energy of 1950s rock ’n’ roll roaring back to life.

Part concert, part play, and all adrenaline - Million Dollar Quartet turns into one heck of a ride. This production is highly recommended and runs through March 31st, offering a chance to experience this electrifying slice of American music history.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Auditorium Philms’ presentation of Steven Spielberg’s 1981 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra transforms a beloved blockbuster into a full‑body cinematic jolt. Indiana Jones’ adventures play out across the towering Auditorium Theatre screen, but it’s the live orchestra that makes the familiar feel astonishingly new. John Williams’ legendary score doesn’t just sit beneath the film—it surges through it, electrifying every frame. Each chase, each narrow escape, each sweeping desert vista lands with heightened force as the Philharmonic unleashes the “Raiders March” and the score’s darker, more mysterious undercurrents with breathtaking clarity. The result is an experience that feels both nostalgically rooted in movie history and thrillingly alive in the present moment.

Set in 1936, Raiders of the Lost Ark follows archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) as he’s recruited by U.S. Army Intelligence to locate the Ark of the Covenant, a biblical artifact believed to hold immense supernatural power. The Nazis are already searching for it, hoping to harness its destructive force for their military ambitions.

Indy’s quest takes him from the jungles of South America to the snowy mountains of Nepal and the bustling streets of Cairo. Along the way, he reunites with his tough, resourceful former flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Black), and together they battle traps, treachery, and relentless Nazi agents. Standing in Indy’s way is his rival, the suave and morally slippery archaeologist René Belloq (Paul Freeman), who has aligned himself with the Nazis to claim the Ark for his own purposes.

The adventure barrels toward a race‑against‑time finale as Indy fights to keep the Ark out of enemy hands—culminating in one of the most unforgettable climaxes in action‑adventure cinema.

The stunning Auditorium Theatre amplifies the magic, its grand acoustics allowing the orchestra’s sound to bloom without ever overpowering the action onscreen. The coordination between musicians and film is so precise that it feels as though the score is being created in the moment, perfectly synced to every crack of Indy’s whip and every pulse‑pounding twist. The result is a seamless blend of concert and cinema, a reminder of just how essential Williams’ music is to the film’s spirit, humor, and sense of adventure.

Conductor Thiago Tiberio.

Brazilian conductor Thiago Tiberio brings remarkable artistry and precision to the podium, making him one of the standout talents in the world of film‑in‑concert performance. Known for his expert live‑to‑picture synchronization, Tiberio has led orchestras in acclaimed presentations of Star Wars, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coco, Lord of the Rings, and other major studio projects across the globe. His background spans opera, multimedia productions, and award‑winning work recognized by organizations including the United Nations. What truly distinguishes Tiberio is his dynamic presence and emotional clarity - he draws rich, expressive playing from musicians and elevates every score he touches, turning familiar soundtracks into thrilling live experiences.

Each time Indy charges onto the screen with a burst of heroism - or the Chicago Philharmonic unleashes a perfectly rendered cue from Williams’ score - the audience responds as one. Cheers ripple through the theatre, a spontaneous wave of energy that makes the experience feel communal and electric.

Whether you’ve seen Raiders a dozen times or are discovering it for the first time, this live‑orchestra presentation is a joyous celebration of movie magic - an electrifying tribute to one of Hollywood’s most enduring collaborations.

As a newly crowned favorite way to experience a film classic, Auditorium Philms makes a strong case for returning again and again. Their upcoming slate keeps the magic alive, offering even more opportunities to see iconic movies reimagined through the power of live orchestral performance. Keep an eye on their calendar - you won’t want to miss the cinematic treasures still to come.

Saturday, May 16, 2026 • 7:30 PM
Auditorium Philms Presents
Rocky In Concert – 50th Anniversary
with the Chicago Philharmonic

Saturday, September 26, 2026 • 7:30 PM
Auditorium Philms Presents
Top Gun: Maverick

Saturday, October 24, 2026 • 7:30 PM
Auditorium Philms Presents
Edward Scissorhands In Concert – Live to Film
with the Chicago Philharmonic

Saturday, December 19, 2026 • 7:00 PM
Auditorium Philms Presents
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York – Live in Concert

For tickets and/or more information, visit https://www.auditoriumtheatre.org/events/buy-tickets/auditorium-philms.

There are thousands of stories you’d love to see brought to the stage. Stories that slip into the lives of people who walk through the world either unseen or are barely considered by those possessing more standard existences.  People who, because of the way they look or talk or are intrinsically wired to move through life find themselves on the periphery.  Or who mask their true selves by pretending to be something they’re not.  With all the same desires, hopes and dreams of a common human being, something about them hinders them from freely striving for type of self-actualization we all crave.

How they see themselves, relate to others and fulfill their aspirations can produce illuminating and often engrossing stories about who and what we, as a species, inherently are.  They’re in the family of stories queer focused About Face Theatre has been telling boldly and honestly since 1995.  And it’s current production by playwright Preston May Allen, Modern Gentleman, fits snugly in the theater company’s oeuvre of truth.  

By stepping into and exploring the life of Adam, a trans man living in present day New York, About Face again provides a platform to enlighten through alternative storytelling.  Uniquely structured, and under Landree Fleming’s novel direction, Modern Gentleman presents ideas, beliefs and circumstances that provoke serious and stimulating contemplation.  Despite all the things it either suggests or leaves a mystery, it’s the common threads of life that stand out most distinctly.

Passion, drama and rewardingly precocious humor are the trinity that pervade this profile of a person trying to live their most complete life in the gender they feel most comfortable. 

Its passion that opens the play as Adam (Alec Phan) and his girlfriend Lily (Kaylah Marie Crosby) tumble through the front door of Adam’s apartment tearing at each other’s clothes in their rush to get busy between the sheets.  A young articulate couple, they’ve been together for five years and have that satisfyingly acclimated aura of a happily nested pair.  The only odd note is that after a certain point, they seem to be a little awkward about undressing in front of one another.

It isn’t long before the barely visible specter of foreboding that steals over them gets pulled from the shadows.  Sometime since they’ve been together, Adam’s found the courage to confess his desire to transition from being a woman and become male.  When they originally met, they were two women, lesbians whose relationship led to love.  It may have been a startling revelation for Lilly. But that depends on the amount of candor that defined their union.  Others in her position would have left immediately.  Lilly stayed, but two years into a regimen of testosterone treatments and the transformation of her once girlfriend’s physical appearance, and Lilly is experiencing a change of heart.  She eventually tells Adam she can’t go do it and leaves. 

Her departure though doesn’t prove final.  She keeps resurfacing, coming back to the apartment to house sit and care for Adam’s diabetic cat when he needs to travel for work.  Stopping by repeatedly to clarify her position and probe his.  Through their back and forth, we get an enlightening, indeed an enlivened picture of the complexity and far-reaching ripple effects a single very personal decision can produce.

Because they’re both so expressive, so fluent in disclosing their innermost feelings, we learn the rupture isn’t at heart due to superficialities.  It seems to center on personal perception of self and how they both want to experience intimacy beyond sex.  

Because he has allies, Adam enjoys the benefit of other insights.  His friend Samuel (Omer Abbas Salem), whose “gayese” is superb and whose piquant wit is lined with razors, has tons of excellent advice.  Adam’s sister Natalie (Ashlyn Lozano) is equally supportive and just savvy as Sam.  We never know why neither Samuel or Natalie seem to care for Lily who, despite the amount of time she has on stage and the good sense she consistently demonstrates, seems bereft of boosters in her corner. 

A woman Adam meets at a family social event and eventually hooks up with, Alycia, played with wonderfully brash assurance by Emma Fulmer, helps paint a bracing image of what dating looks like 2 ½ decades into the 21^st century.  Through her frankness, she lets Adam get a clearer picture of how a trans man who hasn’t had any below the belt alterations can fit into today’s sexual cosmos.

Milo Bue’s subdued polished set offers an unobtrusive and pleasing backdrop to this edifying drama of the heart.  Ethan Korvne’s sound design and original music bring unexpected texture to Adam’s story and shows how well composed sound elements can complement dramatic theater.  And thanks to Catherine Miller’s cosmopolitan approach to casting, we gain a promising view into the possible. 

Language that sometimes strays toward the ponderous, and occasionally less than fluid scene transitions, prove only mildly distracting.  They don’t lessen the suspense of how Adam will come to fully accept himself as the man he now is rather than some fantasized ideal.  Nor do they leave us less curious of about how that kind of epiphany will impact his relationship with Lily.  

What Modern Gentleman does most gratifyingly is shed thoughtful and intelligently humane light on one of the unseen and unheralded in our midst to give us a fuller understanding of ourselves.

Modern Gentleman

Through April 18, 2026

About Face Theatre

Venue:  Raven Theater

6157 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL  60660

For more information and tickets:   https://aboutfacetheatre.com

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to conclude its 50th Anniversary Season with the Chicago premiere of Mia Chung's theatrical tour-de-force Catch as Catch Can, directed by ensemble member Amy Morton, playing June 4 – July 12, 2026 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. Single tickets are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. 

Longtime ensemble member Gary Cole (NCIS, Veep, The West Wing) returns to the Chicago stage for the first time in over 25 years, joined by fellow ensemble members Audrey Francis (The Thanksgiving Play, Noises Off, The Doppelgänger) and Tim Hopper (Mr. Wolf, Fool for Love, Downstate).

About the Production:

When a prodigal son returns to blue collar New England, his homecoming sets off a spiraling crisis for two families, threatening not only their relationships but their very identities. In Mia Chung's wildly inventive Catch as Catch Can, three actors take on six roles, bridging generation and gender, in a theatrical tour-de-force that upends the kitchen sink drama and asks what happens when we refuse to play the roles we're prescribed. Spanning hilarity, stunning virtuosity and outright horror, this ferocious Chicago premiere must be witnessed to be believed.

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Yuki Nakase Link (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Sound Design), Kate DeVore (Dialect and Voice Coach), Jonathan L. Green (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Elise Hausken (Production Manager), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Catch as Catch Can
Playwright: Mia Chung
Director: ensemble member Amy Morton
Cast: ensemble members Gary Cole (Roberta Lavecchia/Robbie Lavecchia), Audrey Francis (Lon Lavecchia/Daniela Lavecchia) and Tim Hopper (Theresa Phelan/Tim Phelan).

Location: Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago
Dates: Previews: Thursday, June 4 – Saturday, June 13, 2026
Opening: Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 6 pm
Regular run: Tuesday, June 16 – Sunday, July 12, 2026
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday, June 9, Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth); Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day) or Tuesday, July 7; there will not be a 3 pm performance on Saturday, July 4 (Independence Day); there will be an added 2 pm matinee on Wednesday, July 1; there will be an added 7:30 performance on Sunday, July 5.

Tickets: Single tickets for Catch as Catch Can ($20 – $120*) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are currently on sale at steppenwolf.org/memberships: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30. *Pricing includes an $8.50 handling fee

Steppenwolf offers 20 tickets for $20 (no added fees) for each performance of every membership series production. Use promo code 20FOR20 to redeem this offer online, available in advance until they're sold out for every main series show. Limit 2 tickets per person. You can also purchase by phone at (312) 335-1650 on the day-of show at 12 pm for main series performances. Limit 2 tickets per person.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-Described and Touch Tour:  Sunday, June 28 at 3 pm (1:30 pm Touch Tour)
Open-Captioned: Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 pm & Saturday, July 11 at 3 pm
ASL-Interpreted: Friday, July 10 at 7:30 pm

Education and Engagement:

Throughout the 2025/26 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of theatre learners, makers and appreciators with robust education and engagement programming. During the school year, programming includes dedicated student matinee performances for four of the five Membership Series productions, in-school residencies in partnership with Chicago Public schools, a series of on-site workshops in artmaking and theater production, events specifically geared towards teens, as well as professional development trainings and resources for educators. Additionally, Steppenwolf is reimagining their community engagement and will pilot new public programming, continue accessibility programming and offer opportunities for deeper explorations for audiences throughout the season. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education-and-engagement/steppenwolf-field-trip-series.

Artist Biographies:

Mia Chung (Playwright) received a 2024 MacDowell Fellow, 2023 Whiting Award for Drama and a 2022 MAP grant for a new music-theatre work. Her play Catch as Catch Can premiered at Playwrights Horizons in Fall 2022 (2018 World Premiere, Off-Off-Broadway, Page 73). Additional work: Ball in the Air (NAATCO/Public Theater 2022), Double Take (PH Almanac 2021), This Exquisite Corpse (multiple awards), You For Me For You (Royal Court, National Theatre Company of Korea, Woolly Mammoth, multiple regionals. Published: Bloomsbury Methuen). Awards, commissions, residencies include: Clubbed Thumb, Helen Merrill, Loewe Award for Music-Theatre, MTC/Sloan, NYTW, Playwrights' Center/Jerome, Playwrights Horizons/Steinberg, Playwrights Realm, South Coast Rep, SPACE/Ryder Farm. Alum: Huntington Playwriting Fellows, Ma-Yi Writers Lab, New Dramatists.

Amy Morton (Director) is an actor and director. She has performed in or directed many plays at Steppenwolf including: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Tony nomination), August: Osage County (Tony nomination), One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (also on Broadway), Hir, Cherry Orchard, The Berlin Circle, Three Days of Rain, The Unmentionables, Space, The Royal Family and many others. She has directed Guards at the Taj (both Atlantic Theatre and Steppenwolf), Glengarry Glen Ross, Clybourne Park, American Buffalo, The Dresser, The Pillowman, Topdog/Underdog, Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Alliance Theatre), Awake and Sing (Northlight Theatre), and many others. Film: Rookie of the Year, 8MM, Falling Down, Backdraft, Up in the Air, Bluebird, It Ends With Us. Television: The Bear, Bluebloods, Girls, Homeland, currently a regular on Chicago P.D. as Sgt. Trudy Platt. Before joining Steppenwolf, Amy was a member of the Remains Theatre for 15 years.

Gary Cole (Roberta Lavecchia/Robbie Lavecchia) has been a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company Ensemble since 1986. Past Steppenwolf credits include: Balm in Gilead, Tracers, Frank's Wild Years, Closer and August: Osage County. Off-Broadway: True West, Orphans (both of which originated at Steppenwolf), and the premiere of Sam Shepard's Heartless. Television: West Wing, Entourage, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Suits, Veep and NCIS. Voiceover work includes: Family Guy, Big Mouth and Archer. Film: In the Line of Fire, A Simple Plan, Dodgeball, Office Space, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Pineapple Express.

Audrey Francis (Lon Lavecchia/Daniela Lavecchia) currently serves as Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, alongside Glenn Davis, where she has been an Ensemble member since 2017. Audrey directed You Will Get Sick in Steppenwolf's 2024/25 season and POTUS in the 2023/24 season. She has performed on stage in Noises Off, The Thanksgiving Play, The Herd, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Fundamentals, The Doppelgänger (an international farce) and Dance Nation. TV and film credits include Justified: City Primeval, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Empire, Perpetrator, Knives and Skin and Later Days. Audrey is an acting coach for NBC, Fox, Showtime and Amazon. She is also the co-founder of Black Box Acting and the co-creator of Steppenwolf's corporate training program, Steppenwolf IMPACT.

Tim Hopper (Theresa Phelan/Tim Phelan) is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble. Recent roles at Steppenwolf include Mr. Wolf in Mr. Wolf and Andy in Downstate, which traveled to the National Theatre in London, and to Playwrights Horizons in New York. Television appearances include Chicago Fire, Emperor of Ocean Park, the Amazon series Utopia, Fargo, The Americans, and Empire. Film appearances include the upcoming A24 film Enemies, as well as Perpetrator; Knives and Skin, School of Rock and To Die For, among others. Off-Broadway: New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre and the Atlantic Theater. Internationally, the Edinburgh Festival and Antwerp's De Singel Theatre.

Accessibility: 

As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production. Assistive listening devices (ALDs), large-print programs and Braille programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sponsor Information:

Catch as Catch Can is supported in part by Jenner & Block. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 50 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT) is pleased to announce its Spring 2026 Concert Series, URGENT MOTION/SHARED GROUND, presented by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2 at 12 p.m. Tickets are $10 - $30, (free for Columbia College students) and available now at CerquaRivera.org. The approximate runtime is 75 minutes.

CRDT's URGENT MOTION/SHARED GROUND features performances of original dance and music by the company's professional dance ensemble and jazz orchestra. The program will feature two new world premieres: Immense World by Shannon Alvis and Joe Cerqua and We Intersect by Monique Haley and Joe Cerqua. Also featured, and back by popular demand, A Place Between Earth & Sky by Shannon Alvis and Clarice Assad.  In this program, the company meets a world in turmoil with movement and music that listens, reflects. This performance is an exploration of who we are, where we've been and where we're headed, together.

The Spring 2026 Concert Program Includes:

Immense World: A World Premiere 

by Shannon Alvis (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) and Composition by Co-Founder Joe Cerqua, Additional Composition: Richard M. Jones with arrangement by Joe Cerqua

Lyrical and sensitive, a new work of dance theatre exploring the relationship between humans and nature

Victims of Comfort

Music by Keb' Mo'

Featuring Joe Cerqua (vocalist) & Stu Greenspan (guitar & CRDT music director)

We Intersect: A World Premiere

by Monique Haley (River North Chicago Dance) and Composition by Kendrick Scott (Founder, World Culture Music), arrangement by Joe Cerqua

Rooted in jazz and blues, this is a consideration of loops of prejudice and the promise of community

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Music by Paul Simon, Arrangement by Joe Cerqua

Featuring Joe Cerqua and Margaret Murphy-Webb (vocalists)

A Place Between Earth & Sky (2019): Revival

By Shannon Alvis (Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) and Composition by Clarice Assad (2009 Latin Grammy and 2022 Grammy nominee)

A propulsive and ethereal work that uses the framework of a day to consider the arc of a life

ABOUT CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre gathers people to contemplate our unique distinctions and common humanity. We offer recognition and respect to the full breadth of our community and nurture empathy and understanding to improve the quality of life everywhere we go. We are proudly and visibly multicultural, exploring the intersection of heritage, culture, and identity through high quality, original dance and music rooted in diverse and authentic personal narratives.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre presents URGENT MOTION/SHARED GROUND, presented by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, 1306 S. Michigan Ave. Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 2 at 12 p.m. Tickets are $10 - $30, (free for Columbia College students) and available now at CerquaRivera.org. The approximate runtime is 75 minutes.